Objective: Anti-Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) activity of Kumazasa (Sasa senanensis Rehder) extract were investigated in the human embryonic lung (HEL) fibroblast cell.
Method: This study examined the effect of hot water extract from Sasa senanensis Rehder on HCMV replication, viral-specific major immediate early (IE) gene expression, and protein synthesis.
Results: Treatment of HCMV-infected HEL cells with that Sasa senanensis Rehder extract inhibited the cytopathic effect and viral production in a dose-dependent manner. Further, real-time RT-PCR assay and Western blotting analysis revealed that Sasa senanensis Rehder extract decreased expression of the HCMV IE gene in virus-infected HEL cell.
Conclusion: These results suggest that Sasa senanensis Rehder extract have anti-HCMV activity by inhibitting of IE gene expression.

Objective: Anti-human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) activity of 5 compounds, especially tricin, isolated from Kumazasa extract were investigated in the human embryonic lung (HEL) fibroblast cell.
Method: This study examined the effect of tricin on HCMV replication, viral-specific major immediate early (IE) gene expression, and protein synthesis.
Results: Pretreatment of HEL cells before HCMV infection with tricin inhibited viral production in a dose-dependent manner, as well as posttreatment of HCMV-infected HEL cells with tricin. Real-time RT-PCR assay and Western blotting analysis indicated that tricin decreased expression of the HCMV IE gene in virus-infected HEL cell.
Conclusion: These date suggest that the primary mechanism of anti-HCMV activity for tricin, isolated from Kumazasa hot water extract, inhibit IE gene expression.

We previously reported that treatment with tricin (4’,5,7-trihydroxy-3’,5’-dimethoxyflavone) after human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection significantly suppressed both infectious virus production and HCMV replication in human embryonic lung fibroblast (HEL) cells. Moreover, we recently revealed that HCMV infection can increase the expression of CC-motif ligand 2 (CCL2/MCP-1) and CCR2, a specific receptor for CCL2, which can enhance HCMV infection and replication, in turn. In this study, we examined whether CCL2 and/or CCR2 are involved in the anti-HCMV effects of tricin in HEL cells. Exposure of fibroblasts to tricin inhibited infectious HCMV production, with concomitant decreases in CCL2 and CCR2 transcript levels and CCL2 protein levels in a dose-dependent manner. Propagermanium, an inhibitor of CCR2 function, has also been shown to inhibit infectious HCMV production with concomitant decreases in CCL2 protein levels. We further observed that tricin and propagermanium reduced mRNA expression of HCMV immediate early gene and DNA polymerase in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that tricin is a novel anti-inflammatory compound with potential anti-HCMV activity, and CCL2/CCR2 interactions are associated with HCMV replication.